Some advice if I may. My Westcombe Park conveyancer is advising me that she is duty bound toconduct Westcombe Park conveyancing searches asthe firm are on the Virgin Moneyconveyancing panel. Is this really necessary?
You have limited options available to you. As you are obtaining a home loan with a mortgage company your property lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your property lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of your lender’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to comply with the CML Handbook provisions . Even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out Westcombe Park conveyancing searches.
We see that you have a post code search directory listing law firms on the HSBC conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I retain them for our conveyancing in Westcombe Park?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the HSBC conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint for your conveyancing in Westcombe Park.
The Westcombe Park conveyancing solicitors that just started acting on my purchase in Westcombe Park have without warning closed. They were on acting for me because I had to have a solicitor on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and my previous Westcombe Park lawyer was not. I paid them 275 plus VAT in advance. What should be my next steps?
If you have an estate agent involved then inform them straight away so that they advise the vendors that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Most sellers would be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You will need to appoint new lawyers that are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money, it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new solicitors may be able to assist.
Do I find a Licenced Conveyancer or Solicitor for conveyancing in Westcombe Park?
Two types of professional can carry out conveyancing in Westcombe Park namely licenced conveyancers or solicitors. The two can provide the legal services that you need to complete the disposal or acquisition of property. Both are duty bound to carry out Westcombe Park conveyancing on similar quality and guidelines so you can be safe in the knowledge that your conveyancing will be professionally carried out and that the necessary steps should be suitably followed.
When it comes to lenders such as Principality, do Westcombe Park property lawyers face a fee to be on the conveyancing panel?
We are unaware of any mortgage company fees to be on their list of approved firms, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.
I have today made my last payment due on my mortgage with Yorkshire BS. I assume I don't need a Westcombe Park property lawyer on the Yorkshire BS panel to discharge the mortgage at the Land Registry. Please confirm.
If you have finished paying off your Yorkshire BS mortgage, they may send you evidence showing that you have paid it off. Alternatively they may notify the Land Registry directly. The Land Registry need to see this evidence before they will remove the Yorkshire BS mortgage from the register. Yorkshire BS, and any evidence they send you, will determine the action you need to take. In cases where no conveyancer is acting for you and you have paid off your mortgage:
- but are not moving to another property
- where Yorkshire BS has sent the Land Registry the discharge electronically, and
- Yorkshire BS has instructed the Land Registry to do so
How does conveyancing in Westcombe Park differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build or newly converted property in Westcombe Park approach us having been asked by the developer to exchange contracts and commit to the purchase even before the property is constructed. This is because house builders in Westcombe Park usually purchase the site, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancing solicitors as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are accustomed to new build conveyancing in Westcombe Park or who has acted in the same development.
I am looking for a conveyancing lawyer in Westcombe Park for my house move. Is it possible to check a solicitor's complaints history with the profession’s regulator?
One may find presented Solicitor Regulator Association (SRA) determinations arising from investigations commenced on or after 1 January 2008. Visit Check a solicitor's record. For details about the period before 1 January 2008, or to check a firm's history, phone 0870 606 2555, 08.00 - 18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 09.30 - 18.00 Tuesday. International callers, use +44 (0)121 329 6800. The regulator sometimes recorded call for training purposes.